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Magnitude of acute respiratory infections in under five
P Chhabra1, S Garg, S K Mittal
1Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi.
Insights
Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) affect 12.1% of children under five in rural Delhi, decreasing with age. The study highlights ARIs as a significant health issue requiring urgent control programs.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are a leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality globally.
- Understanding the prevalence and incidence of ARIs in specific populations is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and incidence of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) in children under five years of age in a rural Delhi community.
- To analyze the trends of ARIs by age and sex, differentiating between upper and lower respiratory tract infections.
Main Methods:
- A community-based epidemiological study was conducted in a rural area of Delhi.
- Data on ARI episodes, age, and sex were collected for children under five years of age.
Main Results:
- The prevalence of ARIs was 12.1%, showing a decline with increasing age and no significant difference between sexes.
- The incidence of ARIs was 2.5 episodes per child per year, decreasing significantly with age.
- Lower respiratory tract infections were more common in boys than girls (0.4 vs. 0.2 episodes/year).
Conclusions:
- Acute respiratory infections represent a substantial community health problem in the studied population.
- The findings underscore the need for an urgent, targeted acute respiratory infection control program.
- Age-specific and sex-specific data are important for effective ARI prevention and management strategies.
Abstract:
A community-based study was carried out in a rural area of Delhi to measure the prevalence and incidence of acute respiratory infections among children below the age of 5 years. The prevalence of 12.1%, was similar in boys and girls and was seen to decline with age. The incidence of acute respiratory infections was 2.5 episodes per child per year; it was not different in boys and girls. There was a statistically significant decline in the incidence with age. Upper respiratory tract infections comprised 87.5% of total acute respiratory infection morbidity while lower respiratory tract infections were 12.5%. Both upper and lower respiratory tract infections declined with increasing age; while the former was similar among boys and girls, the incidence of latter was significantly greater in boys (0.4 episodes per year) as compared to girls (0.2 episodes per year). A total of 87.5% episodes were mild, 10.4% moderate and only 2.1% were severe. The results suggest that acute respiratory infections are a major community health problem and an acute respiratory infection control programme needs to be implemented urgently.